LANSING, Mich. (WZMQ) – Governor Whitmer has proclaimed September 2025 as Michigan Food Safety Education and Awareness Month.
No matter our cooking skills, the preparation and storage of the food we eat plays the upmost important role in our own health and safety, as foodborne illnesses affect one in six people in the United States annually.
“The FDA estimates that borne illnesses in the United States result in about 128,000 hospitalizations, and as many as 3000 deaths each year,” explained Emily Hollingsworth, Retail Food Program Manager at MDARD. A list of those illnesses can be found at fda.gov.
With this month being recognized, the Michigan Department of Agriculture and Rural Development (MDARD) is sharing four simple steps to remember to keep yourself and others safe from these hazards.
“Folks at home can remember to clean, cook, chill and separate,” said Hollingsworth.
This refers to regularly practicing the following:
- Properly washing your hands with soap and warm water, and cleaning your produce with cold water
- Checking internal meat temperatures with a thermometer, rather than at a glance
- Refrigerating or freezing meat and other perishables within two hours of leaving a store or restaurant
- Separating raw products from ready-to-eat foods.
One common misconception with improper food preparation in the event of an illness is known as ‘Last Meal Bias.’ This is where someone may assume that their most recent meal caused such illness, which isn’t always the case.
“While it’s possible that you can become ill within an hour or two or even minutes,” said Hollingsworth, “it’s more often several hours, even days or weeks before the onset of that illness.”
In some cases, not all foodborne illnesses can be cooked away, but taking precaution is crucial to eliminating as much bacteria as possible.
“Just cooking food isn’t always the answer,” said Hollingsworth,” so make sure that you are holding food properly and keeping it safe from contamination and cross contamination.”
Even after an awareness month, it’s important to always practice healthy food preparation and storage habits, as well as educate loved ones, especially children.
MDARD prioritizes food safety in its regular efforts, inspecting over 18,000 food retailers, processors, and storage facilities across the state, as well as authorizes Michigan’s 45 local health departments, regulating over 38,000 foodservice establishments. For more information about food safety and MDARD, visit michigan.gov/mdard.
